The Candles
Hans Christian Andersen | Denmark
A proud wax candle and a humble tallow candle find happiness in their different, yet meaningful, lives.
A king's pond frightened the princes with a mistaken turtle monster, but the clever turtle escaped and swam back to safety.
Crows and owls feud over food and space, crows send a spy, gather information, and drive owls away, leading to peaceful coexistence.
A majestic Mountain with strange noises drew crowds of curious people, but their long wait revealed a humble Mouse instead.
Clever spider Anansi tricked the turtle with soup, but the turtle's underwater house left Anansi wet and hungry.
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?
A lion and bear fought over a goat, exhausting themselves, and a fox took advantage, leaving them with regret.
A confident mule enjoying a carefree break believed he had racing horse lineage, but after a day of labor, he doubted his heritage.
Once there was a big, shiny wax candle who thought he was the best. “I’m made of the finest wax,” he said proudly. “I burn brighter and last longer than any other candle. I belong in fancy places, like chandeliers and silver candlesticks.”
Nearby, a simple tallow candle listened. “You must have a wonderful life,” the tallow candle said. “I’m just made of tallow. I was dipped many times to make me strong. Even though I’m not as fancy as you, I’m happy where I am. I live in the kitchen, where all the food is made.”
The wax candle bragged, “There are more important things than food! I get to shine at parties. Tonight, I’m going to a big ball in a fancy room with other wax candles.”
Just then, someone came to take all the wax candles for the party. But the tallow candle wasn’t forgotten. The lady of the house took him to the kitchen and gave him to a poor boy who had come to pick up some food. “Here’s a candle for you,” she said kindly. “Your mother can use it when she stays up late to work.”
The lady’s little daughter stood close by, and when she heard "late at night," she got excited. “I’m going to stay up late tonight too!” she exclaimed. “We are having a ball, and I’m going to wear my big red ribbon!”
No candle could ever shine as brightly as the eyes of a happy child. The tallow candle thought to himself, “Happiness is such a beautiful thing to see. I must remember how it looks, because I may not see it again.” Then they put him in the basket and closed the lid. Away the boy went with it.
As they walked, the tallow candle wondered, “Where am I going? Maybe I’ll live with people who don’t have fancy candlesticks like the wax candle.”
And that’s exactly what happened. The tallow candle was brought to a small, cozy home where a widow lived with her three children. “Thank you for this candle,” the widow said as she lit it. “It will help me work tonight.”
At first, the tallow candle flickered a little sadly. “I’m sure the wax candle is shining brightly at the party,” he thought. “How nice it must be to sit in a silver holder with all the important people around.”
But then, he saw the children’s happy faces as they gathered around the table. They were excited about having warm potatoes for dinner. The smallest girl smiled as she whispered to her siblings, “We’re having warm potatoes tonight!”
The candle began to feel happy too. He realized that joy can be found in simple things. As he watched the family enjoy their dinner and say a small thank you, the tallow candle thought, “This is a special moment too.”
Later, the children went to bed, and their mother stayed up to sew. The stars outside shone over both the grand house and the small one, making everything peaceful and bright. The tallow candle glowed softly and thought, “I wonder if the wax candle, sitting in his silver holder, is feeling as happy as I am right now. I’d really like to know that.”
And with that, the tallow candle felt warm inside, knowing that even in a small place, he had brought light and joy to a loving family.
Anansi Goes Fishing
Anansi, a mischievous spider, tricks Brother Turtle to catch fish for him but learns the value of hard work in the end.
A Dog and A Butcher
A hardworking Butcher's shop is visited by a stray dog that steals a sheep's heart, prompting the Butcher to be more vigilant.
An Ostrich, Birds, and Beasts
An ostrich, possessing characteristics of both birds and beasts, seamlessly moved between them, surprising and eventually gaining acceptance from both sides.
A Woman and Her Hen
A woman had a special Hen that laid one egg daily, so she tried feeding it more to get two eggs, but it stopped laying altogether.
A frightened Thunny being chased by a Dolphin cleverly leads them both to the shore, where they both get stranded.
A dog falls into a well, and the gardener, while trying to save him, gets bitten due to a misunderstanding, leaving the dog behind.
A strong Wolf believed he was a Lion and joined real Lions, only to realize he was just a regular Wolf among them.
A Bat, Thorn Bush, and Seagull started a business, but their ship sank, making the Bat hide, Seagull search, and Thorn Bush cling to fabric.
A spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.
The Dog borrowed food from the Sheep, forgot the debt, and refused to repay, leading to an unfair court decision against the innocent Sheep.
Curious spider Anansi finds a magical rock that puts animals to sleep; he tricks them but is eventually outsmarted.
Jackdaw, a plain bird, found and adorned himself with peacock feathers, only to be exposed and ridiculed, returning to his ordinary state in shame.